The biggest obstacle to breaking in new workout gear is usually deciding where to start. So let’s alleviate that decision paralysis right now.

When you’re looking for ways to begin working with your TRX Gravity Cast Kettlebells, turn to these four beginner moves.

But first, Kettlebells 101

A kettlebell has more parts than you might expect for a solid chunk of metal, and learning what to call all of the whatsits will help you understand basic kettlebell exercises.

Think of the top grip of a kettlebell as a giant “C.” The center bar of the grip is called the handle, while the curves at the sides of the handle are known as the corners. The tips of the “C”—where the kettlebell connects to the bulb that accounts for most of the weight—are known as the horns. The horns connect to the bell, and the flat bottom of the bell is called the base.

TRX Kettlebells are gravity-cast with a smooth, powder-coated finish to ensure that the burn you feel comes from your workout, not from friction in your grip.

Speaking of workouts, let’s get down to business.

Hey! I want to do a Turkish Get-up!

Don’t we all?

Patience, young padawan. You have to nail the fundamentals before you progress into the advanced moves. It’s also important to remember that moving with a kettlebell may feel awkward when you’re getting started. That’s because a kettlebell is designed to engage in its own trajectory of movement that complements your movement.

Think of it like walking with a full glass of water: with each step, the water is going to engage in its own pattern of movement; maybe even slosh over the glass. Similarly, a kettlebell’s handle is meant to rotate as an axle inside your grip. One of the reasons that kettlebell workouts are effective is your body has to respond to and counterbalance the kettlebell’s independent momentum.

In other words, it’s best to start with the simple exercises to understand how exercising with a kettlebell feels before charging into the advanced challenges.

Let’s give it a go.

The Kettlebell Deadlift

Start with your feet hip-distance apart, and your TRX Kettlebell on the ground in front of your toes. Hinge at your hips, pushing your butt back as you do, and try to minimize the bend in your knees. Grab the kettlebell handle by the corners, and start your return to a standing position. As you straighten your body, you’ll be powering that lift through the posterior chain. (That’s the official name for the muscle groups in your backside.)

Continuing to grip the kettlebell by the corners, and repeat that hinge-and-extend motion. Focus on keeping your back flat and your shoulders pulled down and back. You don’t have to touch the kettlebell to the floor with each rep; if your hamstrings are tight, your terminal point for the deadlift might be around your shins or ankles. That’s okay!

Goblet Clean

In this move, you’ll change your grip on the kettlebell while maintaining fluid motion.

Start again with feet at hip-distance and the kettlebell slightly in front of your toes. Squat down and grab the kettlebell by the corners. Your palms should be facing your legs.

There are two elements to think about as you return to full extension: first remember to power that standing motion from your posterior chain.

Second, as you lift the kettlebell, use the momentum to propel your grip change. Drop your elbows toward your hips. As your elbows drop, your palms will slide to the horns of the kettlebell and lift the kettlebell in the process. (This is one of those exercises where the smooth finish of the TRX Kettlebell really pays off.) The kettlebell should be by your chest at the top of this motion.

When you repeat the exercise, dropping back into your squat, slide your grip back to the corners.

Dead Stop Swing

Start in your deadlift position: Feet hip-width apart, and the kettlebell slightly in front. When you hinge to grab the handle, your hands should be slightly in front of your shoulders.

To set the shoulders and the upper back, imagine you’re trying to snap the kettlebell handle in half. Hike the kettlebell from the floor into the backswing position, so the corners of the handle hit your upper thighs, just under your crotch. Pop your hips forward, swinging the kettlebell up to shoulder height, before letting gravity return the kettlebell back to your upper thighs.

Because this is a Dead Stop Swing, it’s a punctuated motion. The kettlebell trajectory for each rep goes floor, thighs, shoulder, thighs, floor.

Kettlebell Swing

Once you’ve got the hang of the Dead Stop Swing, it’s time to move on to the Kettlebell Swing. Start in your deadlift position. Hinge at your hips and reach forward to grab your kettlebell by the handle. Hike the kettlebell into the backswing position.

This time, the kettlebell’s trajectory will be a pendulum motion between the upper thighs and the shoulder. This movement is still being powered by your posterior chain, so focus on hinging and thrusting through your glutes and hamstrings instead of lifting with your shoulders.

All together, now!

You’ve got four kettlebell exercises for beginners to get your routine started, so why not combine them into a workout? Try this one on for size!

• 30 seconds: Kettlebell Deadlifts
• 15 seconds: Rest
• 30 seconds: Goblet Cleans
• 15 seconds: Rest
• 30 seconds: Dead Stop Swing
• 15 seconds: Rest
• 30 seconds: Kettlebell Swing
• 15 seconds: Rest

Repeat the entire kettlebell circuit for a second round, and you’ve got a solid workout in less than 8 minutes.

And if you’re ready for even more kettlebell instruction, check out the full library of on-demand kettlebell workouts from TRX Training Club. With more than 30 workouts (and counting), there’s always an option to keep your training on track. Never tried TRX Training Club? Your first week is free, so get started today.

 

 

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Wall balls and partner passes are great if you have a sturdy wall or a workout buddy, but they’re not the only moves you can do with a medicine ball.

 

This multitasking exercise tool is a superstar when it comes to strengthening your abdominals, and we’re proving it with these seven medicine ball ab workouts you can do anywhere.

The Tool

Before we dive into a few of the ways you can use a medicine ball for ab workouts, let’s talk about what makes a medicine ball special.

Medicine balls are effective because they target muscle groups through dynamic movement. A medicine ball can challenge your balance in side-to-side drills, or improve your stability through moves like offset push-ups. Because medicine balls come in a variety of weights, there’s room to progress or regress your exercises, as needed.

For this workout, we suggest the TRX XD KEVLAR™ Rubber Medicine Balls because they are the most durable medicine balls on the market. Using tire technology, natural rubber is combined with Kevlar® fiber, resulting in a grippy texture to aid in movements like catching, throwing, and slamming—all with a medium bounce that’s ready to withstand your toughest sweat sessions.

In ab workouts, try a medicine ball that’s in your medium range.

The Interval

There are lots of ways to build a workout, but we suggest sticking with either timed intervals of 30-45 seconds per move, or rep-based intervals of 12-20 moves per set in this medicine ball ab workout series. Experiment with both to find which style suits you.

Whether you opt for time or rep intervals, work through the circuit twice for an approximately 15-minute ab blast series.

Medicine Ball Alternating Knee Strikes

Muscle groups engaged: Lower Abs, Hip Flexors, Shoulders, and Triceps

You’ll keep your back on the ground for our second medicine ball ab exercise, the alternating knee strike.

Lie down with your lower back and shoulder blades pressed into the floor or mat. Start by holding the medicine ball straight over your chest, with your legs fully extended to the ground, then draw one leg toward your torso.

As you tuck your knee toward your chest, bend your arms and lower the ball to meet the knee. Fully extend your arms and leg, and repeat on the second side, alternating quickly between right and left knees.

Jackknife Passes

Muscle groups engaged: Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Lats, and Hip Flexors

For this move, we’re taking your ordinary jackknife to the next level by adding a medicine ball. Start lying on the ground face up. Your hands and feet should be extended in opposite directions, and your lower back should be glued to the floor.

With your feet parallel, use either your feet or your ankles to lift the medicine ball, and keep your “grip” tight! As you lift the ball up with your feet, lift your shoulders off the ground. Your arms and legs—both fully straightened—should meet overhead.

Once you’re “folded” into your jackknife, pass the ball from your feet to your hands, and extend back down to the floor with the ball in your hands. Repeat, passing the ball between your feet and hands each time.

Need to downgrade? Start with the ball between your knees, and pass the ball between your knees and hands in an accordion crunch.

Medicine Ball Offset Push-Up

Muscle groups engaged: Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Quads, Glutes, Shoulders

Most of our mat moves in this series are in the supine position, but we won’t pass up an opportunity to incorporate a medicine ball into a plank.

For this exercise, you’ll start in an off-set high plank position: one palm on the ground, the other on your medicine ball. The arm that’s connected to the medicine ball will remain slightly bent through the entire move.

Keeping your core tight, you’ll drop down for a push-up, and try to avoid letting the ball wobble. (That’s what makes the medicine ball challenge exciting!)

Once you’ve pushed back up to a straight arm (on the floor-touching side), roll the ball under your body. The palm that was on the ball will now be planted on the floor, and the hand that was on the floor should be on top of the ball. Repeat your push-up again on the second side, and continue—alternating between sides.

If you need to take the push-up from your knees, it’s abs-olutely fine to drop your knees to the ground for the push-up only.

Medicine Ball Oblique Twist

Muscle groups engaged: Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Obliques

Our final move on the mat is a weighted version of the oblique twist. Start in a seated position with a straight back, leaning back slightly to engage your abdominals. Your knees should be bent, with your heels resting on the floor. Hold the medicine ball in front of your chest with both hands.

To begin, rotate side to side. If you’re rotating to the right, your right elbow should touch the ground. When rotating to the left, your left elbow should touch the floor.

To progress this move, you can first lift your heels off the floor, and then—if you want a further upgrade—straighten your legs.

Get Up, Stand Up

Medicine Ball Muay Thai Knee Strikes

Muscle groups engaged: Shoulders, Obliques, Lower Abs, Quads

Similar to the alternating knee strikes you completed on your mat, we’ll start standing with feet hip distance apart and the ball overhead for this explosive move.

Keeping your arms straight, lower the ball to hip level while bringing one knee up to meet the ball. (A light tap is all you need to complete the rep; don’t slam the ball into your knee!) Repeat for a total of five reps on the right side before switching it up for five reps on the left side.

Want more leg action? Drop the traveling leg back for a lunge!

Start in your lunge position with your left leg forward and your right leg back. Your right knee cap should be hovering just above the floor. Drive up through your left leg while lowering the ball down and raising your right knee to hip level. Just as you did in the standing version of this exercise, your knee should meet the medicine ball. Repeat in five-rep sets, alternating between your left and right legs.

Medicine Ball Rotational Slam

Muscle groups engaged: Shoulders, Obliques, Triceps, Quads, Glutes

In a standard medicine ball slam, you follow a straight axis as you squat, lift, and slam the ball. With this move, we trade that vertical axis for a diagonal, working the obliques in the process.

Just like in the traditional ball slam, you’ll start holding the ball overhead with both hands. Your feet should be hip distance apart, and you’ll want to keep a light bend in your knees. Start by slamming the ball to your right side. Because this is a slam—not a drop—your torso should rotate slightly to the right, and your hands will follow through to the right side.

Squat down, pick up the ball, raise it overhead, and repeat on the left side.

The Results

It’s easy to fall into a bodyweight-only ab routine, but that means your workouts will eventually plateau. Challenging yourself with weight will help you continue to make progress with an efficient exercise schedule. Give these medicine ball ab workouts a try, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your own additions to this routine.

 

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